Why should I practice things that I would never play on a gig?

Well, the idea isn't to overuse anything, it's to be so comfortable that you can focus only on the music.

Also, if you try to put in stuff you can't really do the music will suffer, so if that is what souds cool/musical to you, you want to get it down.
 
Old PIT Guy said:
It doesn't matter if he was correct on whether ghost notes would be heard in heavy music, it's about ignoring a technique that involves so much more than what is or isn't heard. Ghosting notes is essential to dynamic control; they can also imply tons of feel, and can act as place holders of time between more complex and-or syncopated figures. But you wouldn't know that unless you apply yourself to the technique.
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I misspoke; I meant, was he referring to the artists/era I mentioned, where ghost notes are used often, or in the 80s, not so much?
 
someguy01 said:
I just started looking into linear drumming as I am unfamiliar. Thankfully, Jared and Drumeo dropped a nice little intro to the style video that has helped me on my quest.
Currently trying to get my old man brain to grapple with the samba/bossa my teacher just showed me. My left hand doesn't like that 3.
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May I suggest purchasing a Gary Chafee or Rick Latham book/dvd....excellent material for these concepts
 
I think it’s easy to use the ‘headroom’ concept (which is at its best the ability to play what you hear musically without any technical constraints) to fall into some practice ideas that can be a little useless, or maybe very unpractical is a better term. It might give you ‘headroom’ to practice paradiddles in quintuplets over sextuplet double paradiddles in the feet, but you could also use that time practicing functional, musical stuff that you’ll use on actual gigs to a high level...also giving you headroom, but functional headroom. Things you’ll use should always be the goal.

Practice things that are functional and that you will use. Just go further with those things than you will use on gigs. For example, instead of practicing something like the above paradiddles example, get some hip Garibaldi linear funk coordination going and really build on those concepts to a high level. Or practice getting foot or left hand rhythmic freedom with a bunch of different Afro Cuban bell patterns. Or whatever suits your musical needs.

Don’t feel you need to practice stuff just to practice stuff. Play things that will be applicable musically, but just play them really well and try to have as much freedom as possible in that area, then move on to the next.
 
jazzin' said:
I think it’s easy to use the ‘headroom’ concept (which is at its best the ability to play what you hear musically without any technical constraints) to fall into some practice ideas that can be a little useless, or maybe very unpractical is a better term. It might give you ‘headroom’ to practice paradiddles in quintuplets over sextuplet double paradiddles in the feet, but you could also use that time practicing functional, musical stuff that you’ll use on actual gigs to a high level...also giving you headroom, but functional headroom. Things you’ll use should always be the goal.

Practice things that are functional and that you will use. Just go further with those things than you will use on gigs. For example, instead of practicing something like the above paradiddles example, get some hip Garibaldi linear funk coordination going and really build on those concepts to a high level. Or practice getting foot or left hand rhythmic freedom with a bunch of different Afro Cuban bell patterns. Or whatever suits your musical needs.

Don’t feel you need to practice stuff just to practice stuff. Play things that will be applicable musically, but just play them really well and try to have as much freedom as possible in that area, then move on to the next.
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This is precisely why I skip any article in the mags concerning quintuplets and septuplets; absolutely 0 material I've ever been required to play, and that I have any interest in playing, utilizes them at all.
 
I practice all kinds of stuff without knowing if I can use it on a gig, because
(1) it's fun, and
(2) I like to have a wide range of styles/phrases etc I can draw on whenever I feel like it. I think it allows me to better express myself (on a gig or otherwise).

I also like the idea above about practicing at 100%, and gigging/recording at 70. That sounds about right.

For sure all permutations aren't gig-viable, but some of them are, and it's fun to find them and use them when they are a good fit.
 
Bonzo_CR said:
I practice all kinds of stuff without knowing if I can use it on a gig, because
(1) it's fun, and
(2) I like to have a wide range of styles/phrases etc I can draw on whenever I feel like it. I think it allows me to better express myself (on a gig or otherwise).

I also like the idea above about practicing at 100%, and gigging/recording at 70. That sounds about right.

For sure all permutations aren't gig-viable, but some of them are, and it's fun to find them and use them when they are a good fit.
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yep...as I mentioned before, if I practice inverted flam taps, I KNOW I will not play therm in my jazz band....but I WILL use the speed and finger strength developed by them to manipulate my brushes in that one little "idea" that my brain gets for a quick, intricate brush fill...

Everything relates to everything
 
ottog1979 said:
That'd be like a professional athlete saying "Why should I lift weights? We don't ever do that in a game?"
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I guess it would depend on the sport, but while weightlifting is important, its not nearly as important as actually practicing the sport itself. A soccer player could lift all he wants, but he's not gonna be better than the player that spends more time actually playing soccer.

My point is, I feel like I've been getting too bogged down with using books when the bulk of my practice really should be playing music and learning transcriptions.
 
Why not practice stuff whether you play it on a gig or not? That's a better question. We are drummers we play drums-why limit what we practice? It's through those times that likely innovations are derived and make drumming more interesting. If we all played everything the same it would be boring as hell-Drummer hell must be everyone plays the same-same song, same everything. I’ve heard many a song done 100 different ways- I didn’t like all but some awesome.
 
Joffry said:
I guess it would depend on the sport, but while weightlifting is important, its not nearly as important as actually practicing the sport itself. A soccer player could lift all he wants, but he's not gonna be better than the player that spends more time actually playing soccer.

My point is, I feel like I've been getting too bogged down with using books when the bulk of my practice really should be playing music and learning transcriptions.
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This is a fair point. Everyone has a different balance of what to do. I think of the balance as the yin/yang of practice.

On one hand (the yin) there is the learning of new stuff, exploring it, getting it down smooth and flowing, absorbing it into your vocabulary etc
On the other (the yang) there is musicality, playing along with music/ playing in context, performance and playing just for enjoyment.
For me the pendulum swings from one to the other every couple of weeks. Both are equally valid.

What's important is to choose what YOU want to do with your practice time right now. That's where motivation comes from IMO, and motivation is really important. 'What motivates you' might change in a week, a month or a year. It's up to you.
 
Joffry said:
I guess it would depend on the sport, but while weightlifting is important, its not nearly as important as actually practicing the sport itself. A soccer player could lift all he wants, but he's not gonna be better than the player that spends more time actually playing soccer.
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But there's a reason every sports team from at least the high school level through pro level has strength and conditioning coaches. It's all a part of it and it takes a balance. In music I think it means developing the mental and physical skills so you're not struggling when you're trying to perform.
 
Who doesn't know some skinny person stronger than all the big dudes that surround him. I use to pulp-wood with a fella like that and at a time I was huge with mass muscle building. There is some genetics in it-why a chimp with much smaller muscles can rip your limbs off your body with incredible strength. Strength or endurance training is all I hear about now, which through activity you can change muscle fiber types. Muscle mass does correlate with strength but only up to a degree. I'd rather be skinny and sinewy that big and bulky now. But actually I'm neither now because with age you biologically lose strength. I still work out just now is slow mo. All the connective tissues that hold everything together age and don't repair as well so those tissues prone to weakness (post-translational modifications of connective tissue proteins, synthesis or pro-collagens and tropoelastin decline, etc. I do like to get my heart rate up and respiratory system going. Mechanically as we age we often slump which changes ventilation of musculoskeletal respiratory movements. Your diaphragm that creates the vacuum to breath is thin skeletal muscle. I always noted growing up all the old codgers who lived longest were the ones always outside working in yard yelling at me to stay out of their yard LOL. I think drumming can and is great exercise especially if playing loud or fast.
 
timmdrum said:
This is precisely why I skip any article in the mags concerning quintuplets and septuplets; absolutely 0 material I've ever been required to play, and that I have any interest in playing, utilizes them at all.
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I can't say for certain that it would work for anyone but me, but I feel like ALL my subdivisions got much cleaner, when I started to get the hang of 5s and 7s. Shifting between the more common subdivisions (quarters, quarter note triplets, 8ths, triplets, 16ths, triplet 16ths, 32nds) felt much easier, and sounded much better.

And then, a few years after that, I got to play 5s and 7s, in a Zappa tribute band.
 
prokofi5 said:
But there's a reason every sports team from at least the high school level through pro level has strength and conditioning coaches. It's all a part of it and it takes a balance. In music I think it means developing the mental and physical skills so you're not struggling when you're trying to perform.
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THIS.
 
MrInsanePolack said:
You gonna be doing that on the gig?
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yes...especially if it is a studio gig...I have had many studio gigs where they give you a piece of music, and then change it instantly, and you have to know how to do that...
 
Joffry said:
No, but I feel like the skills you gain from learning a song are much more easily applicable to playing on a gig than some exercise in a book.
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And just like that you have answered your own question. Doesnt have to be from a book, but it's still learning a skill you dont use during performance. And this is why we do it.

Xstr8edgtnrdrmrX said:
yes...especially if it is a studio gig...I have had many studio gigs where they give you a piece of music, and then change it instantly, and you have to know how to do that...
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I get that, and it's completely valid. But you can see where I was going with my above reply.
 
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